Phantoms rally for shootout win

By John Kovach

Jordy Trottier’s goal clinched a 3-2 win over Traverse City.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning Valley Phantoms revved it up in the waning seconds of a shootout to pull out a “Rev it up America” victory Friday over the Traverse City North Stars.

Jordy Trottier’s shootout goal clinched a 3-2 victory.

The Phantoms played host to a community-supported “Rev Up America” rally prior to the Chevrolet Centre game that drew an announced crowd of 3,981.

The rally supported the American auto industry, Mahoning Valley auto dealers and the Lordstown GM auto workers.

Phantoms’ owner Bruce Zoldan donated 4,000 tickets. Several area industrial and political leaders spoke urging support to save the Lordstown GM plant and the entire U.S. auto industry.

Giving talks on the importance of saving car-making in the U.S., and restoring America’s manufacturing base were Mayor Jay Williams, congressmen Tim Ryan and Charlie Wilson, congressman-elect John Boccieri and UAW Local 1112 president Jim Graham.

The win gives the Phantoms (14-4-2, 30 points) sole possession of first place in the North Division, knocking the North Stars (13-3-3, 29 points) into second place.

“We put together a winning group for the rally and then capped it all off with a winning team — for a double win,” Zoldan said.

The Phantoms took a 2-0 lead in the first period before the North Stars battled back to tie it at 2-2 in the second period,

Mahoning Valley’s first three shooters in the shootout scored (Stefan Salituro, Erik Higby and Trottier). Phantoms goalie Jordan Tibbett stopped North Stars shooters David Johnstone and Kyle Bonis.

Trottier was playing in front of his uncle, Bryan Trottier, an NHL Hall of Fame member who won the Stanley Cup six times with the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Jordy Trottier said he was able to score his winning goal by getting the puck under goalie Brandon Stephenson’s glove and to the side of his pad.

“I noticed he was deep into the net and giving me room to shoot,” Trottier said. “I just saw an opening and fired it.”

Trottier also scored the Phantoms’ first goal and had an assist on the other.

“It was good to get some points in front of my uncle,” Trottier said. “I play harder when he shows up at the game.”

The Phantoms will resume play in the Showcase tonight at 7:15 at the Ice Zone in Boardman against the Marquette Rangers.

The Phantoms will return to the Chevrolet Centre on Sunday at 6 p.m. to face the Motor City Machine.

Trottier put the Phantoms on the board first with a goal at 15:51 left of the first period on assists from Salituro and Higby.

With 1:55 left in the first period, Higby scored on assists from Trottier and Salituro.

Traverse City rallied in the second period to tie the game.

The North Stars cut the Phantoms’ lead to 2-1 on Nathan Urbaniak’s power-play goal at 14:44 left with assists from Kyle Jean and Kyle Bonis.

They tied it with 10:28 remaining on Marc Thompson’s goal.

Tibbett made 20 saves while Stephenson had 21.

The Phantoms had a 23-22 shots advantage.

kovach@vindy.com